Death of over 4 lakh poultry birds in Panchkula’s Barwala belt due to avian influenza

Two of the three samples sent by the Haryana animal husbandry department from poultry farms in Panchkula’s Barwala belt to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal tested positive for avian influenza on Friday.

More than 4.37 lakh poultry birds have died in Panchkula’s Barwala and Raipur Rani areas, considered Asia’s second largest poultry belt, over the past 26 days.

While the Jalandhar-based Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is still processing the samples sent to it, the Bhopal lab has confirmed the presence of influenza.

The central team, which visited the Community Health Centre at Raipur Rani, is discussing the line of action with the Panchkula district administration. Culling of birds is to take place within 1 km area of Kheri and Ghanauli villages from where the samples tested positive.

The death of poultry birds has been taking place since the first week of December and the Panchkula administration has come under criticism for inaction. The state animal husbandry and dairying department sent samples twice to the Jalandhar lab but the reports were inconclusive.

It was only after the central team got the samples sent to Bhopal that the report came positive for bird flu overnight.

Dr Saroj Aggarwal, deputy civil surgeon, Panchkula, said that arrangements have been made at CHC, Raipur Rani, and isolation wards have been set up, while Tamiflu tablets have been procured to check human-to-human transmission of the influenza. “We are ready to deal with any situation,” she said.